The SpaceNews Icon Awards honor excellence and innovation among space professionals, companies, and organizations during the previous 12 months.
Each year, SpaceNews selects the people, programs and technologies that have most influenced the direction of the space industry in the past year. Started in 2017, our annual celebration recognizes outsized achievements in a business in which no ambition feels unattainable.
The 2026 SpaceNews Icon Awards will take place Dec. 1, 2026 in Washington, D.C.
In addition to recognizing this year’s winners, Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein, direct reporting program manager for Golden Dome for America, will join us for a keynote address.
2026 SPONSORS
Want to support the 2026 Icon Awards? Start a conversation with our team using the form below or reach out directly to learn more about how your organization can support our mission to honor excellence and innovation in the industry.
Revisit last year’s winners
Commercial Space Achievement – The Blue Ghost Mission 1 Team at Firefly Aerospace
Lifetime Achievement Award – Phil McAlister
Individual Achievement Award – Casey Dreier, The Planetary Society
Emerging Space Company Award – Impulse Space
Military Space Achievement of the Year – Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, U.S. Space Force
International Collaboration Award – Viasat–Space42
Space AI Breakthrough – Ubotica Technologies, NASA JPL and Open Cosmos
Deal of the Year – SES’ acquisition of Intelsat
Civil Space Achievement of the Year – Traffic Coordination System for Space in the Office of Space Commerce
Sustainability and Environmental Impact Award – Muon Space
Innovative Technology Award – NASA’s Starling Mission